Taro T

Well, if not for dressing Geertsen, the Rags probably don't score in the 1st against the Sabres either. And if they don't score in the 1st, do they get those late ones in the 3rd? Not necessarily. Score effects are real and a team that hasn't scored in 4 periods likely isn't going to break out in period 5 and if they don't in period 5, well, they're gripping their sticks pretty tightly come period 6.

They SHOULD be able to get themselves ready to play the Otters. Then again they should've been able to get themselves ready to play opening night and in Beantown. The one game they didn't have any built in animosity for the opponent (unless the embarrassment of blowing 4 and 3 goal leads last year built animosity) is the one game they came out ready to play (at least for the 1st 30 or so minutes). Beat the d*mn Otters and then worry about the next one.

Ed Kilgore and Wes Goforth were Channel 2's top 2 sports guys back then. Wes is the one next to Ed shortly after the video starts. Know someone who still has the 45. The B-side is Sabres highlights from those 1st 5 seasons.

Logically, there is no reason to bring him back. BUT there was logically no reason to bring him back this season, and it still happened. Logically, there was no way Granato's entire staff should've been employed after he was out of a job. BUT none of them got canned. Dropped the word "logically" from that 1st sentence. Thought it was implied. Guess not. (Though it was unwritten, it seems you didn't read it. 😉 )

To be TRUE contenders without having locked in goaltending would take 3-4 years from here. Lock in GTing and you can accelerate that timeline. But to just get back to relevance. It could actually happen THIS season, if somebody that knew what they were doing was in charge. (Not likely, but it's possible.) And they definitely should be able to be relevant next season in an absolute worst case. This roster ISN'T bad. But, it isn't coached well at all. Get a legit GM and get a legit coaching staff and go from there.

Can't see Adams being brought back, but prior to the start of last season couldn't see any way a year as bad as last year would have him back this year. Sooo ... And couldn't see a way that when Granato got canned, he'd be the only one losing a job with only Ellis getting a demotion out of the entire rest of the coaching staff. Sooooo ... Until Adams is gone, am not expecting it. Will hope for it, but won't expect it. The one thing we have going for us this time versus the past 2 seasons is Kevyn isn't under contract for next year (at present). MAYBE that's the thing Pegula was waiting for prior to making a significant move?

Did the US Olympic team run any workouts this summer with the expanded roster they released a couple of months back that had Thompson and Tuch both on that list? The reason for the Q is: do they already know they AREN'T making the US squad? Asking that because Thompson especially, but Tuch too, seem to be "off" this year. If they knew/ know they aren't going to be going to the Olympics, could that be part of their problem? Or flip side, are they so concerned about making that team that they're gripping their sticks too tight and playing quite poorly for what they'd been expected to bring? Hadn't heard anything at all about the Olympic rosters, but thought maybe some here have heard something.

Needed that to land Bernard-Docker; Gilbert wasn't enough. Oh ...

No, it is not a good list. Said he has not done a good job at making moves to improve the top of the roster. Merely stating that, though nobody acknowledges it, he has actually TRIED to improve the top end of roster as well as the bottom of it. And, btw, it is SPINE, not SPLINE.

Just saw this today. Sorry for delayed response. At least your son and his family hopefully can take consolation in knowing that dog that obviously had had a rough life got to know what it's like to be loved for the last 2 months of its life. My condolences to him and his family.

Realize we like to point out Adams obsession with tinkering at the edges, but he has actually made changes higher up the ladder. Mittelstadt (top 6) out for Byram (top pair); Cozens (top 6) out for Norris (top line); Peterka (top line) out for Kesselring (top 4). Zucker brought in as a FA (top 9 many teams, top 6 here). Savoie (prospect) out for McLeod (top 9 on many teams, top 6 here). It's not that he doesn't address needs higher up in the lineup; it's that he's not good at addressing them and the whole is less than the sum of the parts. He also never is the one sending out multiple parts for the best player in the deal. They have prospects that could be NHLers that will never get legit looks in Buffalo because there isn't room for that many kids getting brought in at the same time making the team even younger. Murray also missed on many of his swings; but at least he was pretty much looking to land the best player in any particular deal. Don't know if it's because Pegula won't let him bring in salary or he simply doesn't know how to put together a package a rival GM would accept for a top player or an offer a top FA would accept; but he never looks for that deal that brings the Sabres the clearly best player in the deal. Yes, Norris is clearly better than Cozens; and he demonstrated that in 2 of the 4 games he's played for the Sabres. Sadly, getting 4 games when the other guy is playing in 30+ skews that one the wrong way too. Am ready for this entire crew making decisions to get sent packing (still expect Karmonos and the guy he brought in could be good, but we don't really get to see it) and a new crew brought in. But they need to be allowed to take an occassional swing for the fences or we'll be stuck where we are again. This team isn't too far off if the coaching and a few spots are upgraded. Make this current nightmare end and don't take an intentional step back while doing so.

Don't know about that. But in the Bills bye week, they play FLA, Detroit, and TO. Blow those 3 games convincingly and our long national, er, neighborhood, er SABREhood nightmare might mercifully start to end. Not rooting for any losses, but expecting there's a reasonable chance this might work out. 😉

Sadly, doubt anyone even told Pegula the Sabres were playing today. He is certainly down in ATL getting ready for "a Monday night party." They need to stop playing the same day the Bills play if we're ever going to get any traction.

Pleasantly surprised by Bryson today. He was in the right spot often today and broke up several plays; he still had issues getting the puck to a teammate, but he was not an issue today from the eye test. Thought Johnson played pretty well too. Really liking the effort Doan brings. And was absolutely shocked, but Quinn tangled with an Av near the Avs net in the 2nd and actually got the better of the Av. Heck, the Av's helmet got knocked off somehow. Really disliked the call on Dahlin for the 1st interference call on him. Htf do you "interfere" with the puck carrier? Pretty sure that's officially known as a "check" which, last we checked, was still legal. Also, not surprised Tuch got called for embellishment. Live it looked like he took a serious dive; but watching on replay it looked like the Av didn't just get his stick in his legs but also got his hip into him and the combination of both seemed to be why he got knocked down so "easily." But they still are wasting some incredible goaltending by Lyon. We got the version that Detroit THOGUHT they were getting when they signed him to that multiyear contract. Maybe they can start scoring more than just one on Wednesday. The Otters are another bad team like Buffalo. Should be a good game. (Of course, expected that to be the case against the Rags too.)

Don't know what's up with Thompson, but it LOOKS like he's intentionally trying to get somebody fired. Didn't get back to the car in time to hear his interview and GR's discussing it made it sound like he still is trying and expects things can get turned around. But just everything he does just seems off. Even that goal he scored was simply throwing it towards the net; it wasn't a shot he expected to have work. Most all his shots are going into the goalie's crest, unless he's shooting at an open net and then it's going wide or over the net. His passes are off, he's taking an extra half second to get shots off. Tuch doesn't seem right either. Realize the 2 of them combined with Dahlin to score the goal, but Dahlin's the only 1 of the 3 that has looked pretty much like himself so far. And he had that horrific pass to Nikushin that set Makar up for the winner which totally changed the flow of the game. Until that play, the Sabres were getting the best of the play and seemed like they'd actually get a lead sometime in that 2nd period if they could just keep it up.

Wonder if getting a 5 on 3 and having about 45 seconds of PP to start the 2nd would've been enough to get the PP off the schneid. When Malinski threw the puck over the glass, it should've been a penalty. The puck was well over the glass and was going to land in the crowd until Kelly reached over the glass and knocked the puck back into the bench area with his stick. Have NEVER seen that happen before. The puck literally was on its way to landing 2-3 rows behind the Avs bench and the guy just plucked it out of the air and back into "no harm, no foul" land. Incredibly quick thinking, but astounded that not one of the officials on the ice saw what happened.

Yes. One broke out with about 10 minutes to go in the 3rd and another broke out in the last minute of the game.

Not specifically talking about next October; just saying that when you inadvertently tank, which is what this season seems to be headed for (though winning the next 4 games could dramatically change that outlook), you can come out of it extremely quickly. Also, was 100% on board with Adams going away and most if not all the coaching staff as well. So, would've rather they not go through an inadvertent tank, but does it not seem that's where we're heading? (Kind of like when they kept Housley around 1 year too long. And Housley repaid the favor of being dead coach walking by giving Skinner top line minutes down the stretch to get him to 40 goals which resulted in him getting his ridiculous contract.) Personally, would rather they rip the bandaid off now, rather than wait until May to do so. And whatever happens, happens. But do you honestly expect ownership to be on board with that anytime soon (barring something truly horrific like a 1-10-1 October)?

Cool. Won a game. Fully expect the wheels to fall off any day now, but at least won't go o-fer. Big dreams are for the perpetually miserable as they rarely get reached. Set your sights much lower, and you likely won't be disappointed. 😉

The fiip side of accidental tanks is they're often due to either injury, severely aged rosters, or incompetent coaching. At least 2 of which, if not all 3, can be cured by the time puck drops the 1st time next October. Should this turn into an inadvertent tank, it has 2 of those as the root causes plus an incompetent GM. Get a competent GM, get competent coaching, and you likely "luck" into better health as well. There are a lot of good pieces on this roster. It isn't a full tear down at present, nor should there be a full teardown. There should be an add to. And tell Dahlin and Thompson they can expect to play out their contracts here in Buffalo; if they have the sads because of that they can get a puppy. The Sabres no longer send very good to great players out the door simply because they've asked to do so or have driven their car through a Tim Horton's. (Does anybody honestly think O'Reilly was traded because he l"ost his love for hockey" and not because he embarrassed the heck of the owners right after they gave him a huge contract?)

Not only that, but who exactly do they expect will be taking the kids to the game? School field trip with a busload of kids and 2 chaperones? How many of the kids parents work at banks or for the government? Even the NYSE isn't taking this banker's holiday. So, so, so on brand.

It sure does seem like they've quit on Ruff. Clean house. Now. Letting this fester through the entire season so everybody can be let go with no outstanding money owed will convert this from a single additional lost season into an additional 3-4 lost season affair.

Adams back, every single coach back, and ending up with $3MM in cap space after seeming to not get equal value in the Peterka trade lead to this off-season being extremely disappointing. Then not having Kesselring nor Benson available to start the year and losing Norris before the 1st game was over simply compound it. Lyon actually looking like the Swamp Cat version of himself with all the rest of that, even though it's a pleasant surprise, is simply a waste at this point.

Thought they had 4 chances in Beantown. If so, 0-8. Heckuva job there, Appie.

it was an interesting experiment. It failed spectacularly, but it was interesting. Now that there are so many schools with sports management programs, wonder if there'll be any case studies done on these past 5 years. Figure there have to be, right? Presumably they'll switch gears back to conventional wisdom next year; but they really need to make that happen now. They should hold the purge right after they get stomped by the Avs. Maybe if they (ownership) show the good players that they do get it and they will get them support then they won't all want to desperately be gone. This roster isn't that far away if they could add 2 or 3 pieces AND get NHL caliber coaching. Can Adams, let Jarmo or Karmanos decide how to try to make improvements for this season and if they're doing well let them stay on next year; if they aren't, well you have a clean slate to fix the FO and coaching.